Gratitude
by Sapphire Smoke
Summary: "Believe me, Regina, if I was gonna get on my knees, the last thing I would be doing down there is thanking you." •Emma/Regina•


**Title:** Gratitude  
**Author:** Sapphire Smoke  
**Beta:** BellaRei713  
**Fandom:** Once Upon A Time  
**Rating:** M  
**Pairing:** Emma/Regina  
**Timeline:** 3x02 Lost Girl (directly after "Ready to thank me?" "Actually, yeah.")  
**Summary:** "Believe me, Regina, if I was gonna get on my knees, the last thing I would be doing down there is _thanking_ you."  
**A/N:** I know everyone wanted a fic of Emma 'thanking' Regina, and I swear this was what this was supposed to be, but then I couldn't in good conscience have Emma just take her up against a tree right then when they were trying to follow a map to their son, lol. So it diverts from that a little, but there _is_ some thanking involved (and up-against-a-tree sex, because I mean come on) and… well, okay, this whole thing kind of ran away from me a bit, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Also for those of you wondering why this is getting posted instead of the next chapter of Transgressions, I held a vote on my Tumblr which fic people wanted to be posted first, and this won 18-17. TotH will be still posted later tonight, however.

* * *

"What, no request for me to be on my knees while I do it, Your Majesty?"

Regina's cocky little smirk to her genuine show of gratitude had rubbed Emma the wrong way, and the snarky response poured from her lips without much thought as to what she was really starting. Regina merely raised an eyebrow in her direction, that damned smirk widening even more as she answered, "Well if you're offering, dear, far be it from me to deny you the pleasure."

Emma rolled her eyes at that, pushing some of the foliage out of the way of their chosen path. Verbal sparring with the Evil Queen wasn't exactly new territory for her, as there had always been something about Regina that seemed to spark Emma's fiercely competitive nature, but there were times when her desire to just win (for _once,_ as far too many times it was Regina who was crowned the victor) caused Emma to toss appropriate out the window just so she could watch the other woman's smug expression falter.

This was one of those times.

"Believe me, Regina, if I was gonna get on my knees, the last thing I would be doing down there is _thanking_ you."

Emma waited for Regina to look shocked at the innuendo, then indignant in a _Miss Swan, how dare you be so inappropriate while our son is in the hands of an evil fiend_ kind of way, but it never came. And fuck, maybe it was the unbearable heat, maybe it was the stress or the innate need to avoid being consumed with fear of the unknown by focusing on something else entirely, but Emma was ninety-seven percent sure that Regina had just _leered _at her.

And then Regina was all up in her personal space like she had gotten a goddamn written invitation to invade it and, okay, maybe Emma had _implied—_

Oh God, breathing. Breathing had definitely just become an issue.

Regina practically devoured her with her eyes, her tongue snaking out to wet her bottom lip suggestively as her gaze drank up everything Emma had to offer her. The Queen was assessing her, maybe deeming if Emma was even worthy of being beneath her in the first place, and it managed to both offend and turn her on at the same time. _Christ._

This is exactly why Regina usually won.

Because it was all a game, wasn't it? Regina was just trying to throw her off as much as Emma sought to, the need to gain the upper hand more predominant than respecting boundaries, apparently. But Regina's eyes were almost black, and physical indicators of desire weren't exactly an easy thing to fake. So that begged the question, did Regina get off on the thought of Emma 'thanking' her on her knees, or was it that she simply took pleasure in fucking with her head?

Because Jesus, Emma really didn't know anymore.

"Gratitude can come in many forms, Miss Swan," Regina reminded her, voice dangerously suggestive as she arched an eyebrow at her. "And I'll admit that I've always preferred the more… _pleasurable_ options." At Emma's widening eyes at such a blunt response, Regina's smirk grew larger as she continued, "So do not attempt to separate that which is one in the same, because believe _me,_ dear, should you be on your knees before me, I'd have you do both."

Emma felt her inner muscles contract at the other woman's assured statement, because God, she wasn't even _trying_ to be subtle, was she? That wasn't an innuendo, that wasn't subtext; that was a forty-two point bolded and italicized font, for fuck's sake.

Emma tried to formulate a response, because _words, damnit;_ but in the end she was spared the humiliation of just gaping at her like an idiot because Snow called from up ahead, "Over here!"

And in an instant, the air between the two women shifted, leaving them to focus on the real reason they were trekking through this jungle and probably suffering heat stroke and delirium: their son.

[x]

They had failed.

_Miserably_ too, if Emma was being honest, and the tension in the camp weighed heavy in the air as they stalked off to gather more supplies for the night. As the skies opened up and it began to drizzle, her parents had taken to trying to assemble some sort of makeshift shelter with Hook, while Regina started a fire and Emma was tasked with finding a water source to refill their canteens.

It only took about ten minutes for Emma to find a waterfall overlooking a large pond, but she took her time filling them anyway because she was certain by this point that the team work had ended, and the bickering had begun. It never really seemed to take very long for them to transition, and as Emma enjoyed the stillness of her current surroundings, she found that prolonging her return to their dysfunctional little Brady Bunch might actually do wonders for her sanity.

So after she was finished Emma took a seat on one of the large boulders, looking up at the night sky as tiny raindrops began to prickle against her exposed skin. Emma had never really been one for praying, but right then she prayed to every God that would listen that they would all make it out of this jungle alive. Pan's words had caused a feeling of paranoia and fear to creep up her spine, and despite how hard she tried, Emma found she couldn't shake it.

"Hiding, dear?"

Emma exhaled an impatient breath as Regina's voice floated in from behind her, the woman's presence destroying her attempt at privacy, and so the blonde didn't even bother to turn around in acknowledgement as she responded flatly with, "If you've stalked me with the intent of collecting on the 'gratitude' that you think I owe you, Regina, I gotta say, after getting ambushed, I think that offer's null and void."

Regina looked as though she were resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she came into Emma's peripheral. "I was thirsty, and was wondering why on earth such a simple task was taking you this long." She grabbed her canteen from Emma then, taking a sip as though that alone would prove her intentions, before side-glancing the blonde with an amused look in her eye. "Though I'll admit I find it interesting that _that_ was the first conclusion you jumped to. Eager to settle your debts, dear?"

Emma really wished Regina didn't get to her like this. Because really, the last thing either of them should be doing right now is waging this kind of challenge to each other. But Regina was _pushing,_ either eager for a distraction from her own pessimism and doubt, or simply just trying to find an outlet for her quickly growing aggravation over their failures, and like some kind of starving trout, Emma took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

"Like I said," Emma responded, leaning back on her hands as she met Regina's eye. "That offer expired once you led us straight into a trap. Sorry." She didn't sound very sorry at all, and looked even less so by the amused expression that fell across her face at the flash of irritation behind Regina's eyes.

"What?" Emma pressed on when all she was met with was Regina's silence. She stood, the need to back Regina into a corner becoming predominant as she advanced on her. "You're not going to try to convince me that I should be thanking you for leading us straight to the camp we stole supplies from instead? Come on, Regina, it isn't like you to not try to turn things around so you come out looking like the only competent one of the group. You could have even went with wanting me to thank you for proving that this is all some kind of _game_ to Pan, and yet—"

"Careful, dear," Regina warned her, casually leaning up against a tree and looking at Emma like somehow she had gained the upper hand again. "Giving me reasons? You're starting to sound eager again."

Emma's eyes flashed in irritation, and in an instant she had invaded Regina's personal space by slamming her hand up against the trunk of the tree near the other woman's head, her body pushing forwards so to only leave a sliver of space between them. In the back of her mind, Emma hoped their close proximity effected Regina in the same way it did her, but her reasoning of wanting that solely to disarm the other woman sounded like a lie even inside her own head.

"What do you _want,_ Regina?" Emma demanded, tired of playing games. The rain was starting to beat down harder, and as their gaze connected, Emma watched Regina take a sharp inhale of breath as a singular raindrop fell delicately from her bottom lip. It was fucking distracting, and it did things to Emma that she really wished it didn't, and so she snapped in accusation, "Are you just trying to humiliate me by getting me to want what you're offering? Because I'm going to tell you right now, if you want to see me on my knees just so you can laugh at me, that shit is a serious hazard to your health. I'm in _no _mood to be dicked around."

"I'm not trying to 'dick you around', Miss Swan," Regina answered, and it was probably the most straightforward thing she had said to her all day. Maybe she was tired of the games too, because knowing them, this could go on for quite a while.

So instead Regina wrapped her fist around the fabric of Emma's shirt before pulling her flush against her, forcing the breath to leave Emma's lungs as the heat of Regina's body contrasted against the cool, damp air that surrounded them. The feeling caused a shiver to roll up the blonde's spine as Regina's gaze flickered from her lips, back up to her eyes, before bluntly informing the woman she had entrapped, "I merely crave the same thing you do, dear; a _distraction."_

"_So,"_ Regina continued with purpose, her lips only a fraction away from Emma's now as she effortlessly drove the blonde absolutely fucking mental just from the feeling of her uneven breaths. "Do you wish to be that for me, or would you prefer it if I looked elsewhere…?"

"Like where?" Emma challenged, her heart beginning to pound in her chest because fucking hell, Regina wasn't just screwing with her. She actually wanted to fuck her and Jesus, Emma really didn't know how to process that information, because it was unexpected as hell. So she kept her talking, needing to figure out if this was even _smart_ before she just dropped to her knees and serviced Regina right here in the middle of the goddamn jungle. "Don't act like you're doing _me_ a favor, Regina, because between me, my parents, and guy-liner over there, it's not like you have any other options."

Regina smirked at that. "You think the Captain wouldn't be willing, dear? Because I can assure you, if I told him to drop his pants, he would without hesitation."

Emma's lip upturned at that, the mental image of Regina fucking _Hook_ making an uncontrollable fire rage in the pit of her stomach. "And here I thought you were classier than that," Emma shot back, hoping the jealousy she felt didn't filter through her words. "Obviously I was wrong."

"I want you to fuck me up against this tree, Emma," Regina told her bluntly, her breathing picking up once she watched the blonde's eyes grow black with lust at her words. God, Regina being so direct did things to her that Emma couldn't even begin to understand, and suddenly there was an ache between her thighs that screamed to be acknowledged. "Clearly class is not something I'm terribly concerned with at the moment."

Emma's fingers moved without permission from her brain as she tore at Regina's blazer, popping the buttons that clasped it together before slipping her hand beneath the woman's shirt. Her nails raked against smooth skin and taut muscles, and there was something so damn satisfying in the way Regina shuddered beneath her touch that it made Emma crave to have more of it, take _all _of it; everything that Regina was and then some.

Because she had been right, they _did_ need a distraction. Fear and worry and doubt swirled in the back of their minds, consuming them with anger, guilt, and everything in between, and fuck, for one freaking moment, it might be good to just have a reprieve. It might allow them to clear their heads, or at least that's what Emma told herself as her hand clasped around the button of Regina's trousers.

"I'm not going to be your whore, Regina," Emma reminded her breathlessly, not allowing herself to give in and just take her until Regina had heard her say. "If I'm just _convenient—"_

"Hook would have been convenient, dear," Regina reminded her, taking Emma's amendment as permission as she hiked up her shirt, allowing it to lay its rest above the blonde's bra-covered breasts. Regina's hungry gaze never left her chest as she slipped her thumbs beneath the confines, dusting them across her nipples and causing Emma's grip on her trousers to tighten. "_You're _who I wanted."

And hell, that was enough for her.

With one hard yank the button on Regina's pants was undone, the movement causing Regina to fall against her as Emma crashed her mouth against hers. Regina's breath hitched, this needy little sound of encouragement falling from her lips and getting lost in the back of Emma's throat as the blonde shoved her hand inside the restrictive material, forcing the zipper to come down a little further when she cupped Regina's heated flesh.

Even over her lace panties, Emma could feel how soaked she was for reasons other than the rain beating down on them, and the groan of approval that left her lips was muffled by a tongue that sought to steal the breath straight from her lungs. Regina kissed with such fierce desperation, one of her hands holding tight to Emma's chin as she sunk her teeth into Emma's bottom lip, the sharp sting causing the blonde to gasp hard before Regina brought the entire thing into her mouth, sucking on it to ease away the pain before she began all over again.

Regina didn't just kiss, she _conquered,_ and should Emma not have been more intent on conquering an area or two of her own, she probably would have fought her on that. But instead she just allowed Regina to take the reins up top as she set her sights down below, her fingers slipping out of Regina's pants just enough so she could push them down her thighs. The wet fabric stuck to the brunette's skin, making the task much more difficult than Emma wanted it to be, but eventually she gave herself enough room to work with and her fingers flew to Regina's panties.

And she must have grabbed them rougher than she had actually intended to, because suddenly the grip on her chin was tightened and her face pulled away, forcing Emma to look into Regina's eyes. "Do _not_ rip them," the brunette warned, her uneven breathing falling from kiss-swollen lips. Emma just chuckled at that, because the image of Regina being forced to trek around Neverland _commando_ really was kind of hilarious, but in the end, Emma wasn't going to do something to her that she wouldn't appreciate herself.

"Relax," Emma murmured, coaxing Regina's hand away from her face before trailing her lips up her jaw. The back of Regina's head hit the tree as she closed her eyes at the feeling, allowing Emma a moment of power before finding that sitting back and being taken wasn't really her style. But when she tried to reach for her, tried to gain the upper hand, Emma retaliated by clasping her fingers around both of the woman's wrists. In a flash Regina's hands were pinned above her head, Emma's body pressing firmly against the entrapped brunette, and Regina's indignant look caused her to chuckle. "I told you to relax."

"And I don't like getting told what to do."

Emma smirked, her lips finding the base of Regina's jaw before nipping lightly at her skin, taking pleasure in the way Regina's hips jerked beneath her. "You said you wanted to get fucked up against this tree, Regina," Emma reminded her, her words sounding almost taunting before she trailed her tongue up the length of the Queen's neck, tasting the raindrops that adorned her skin.

The feeling caused Regina to shudder and she pursed her lips, trying to not emit a sound and give Emma the satisfaction of knowing she turned her on this much. But then the blonde bit down just beneath her ear, the sensation causing a pleading moan to release involuntarily from the back of Regina's throat, and there was no more hiding how badly she wanted this. Emma smirked against her skin then, before pressing her lips to Regina's ear and finishing pointedly with, _"So let me fuck you."_

"You don't want me to reciprocate?" Regina asked breathlessly, because with how Emma presented it and the way she pinned the woman in place, it seemed she wanted nothing more than to just please _her._ But that couldn't be further from the truth. While Emma fucking _ached _to have Regina reciprocate the favor, she also knew they really didn't have the time. They had already been gone long enough and she didn't want her parents stumbling in on them, well… like _this_ of all the compromising positions.

"You'll owe me one," Emma compromised, nipping gently at Regina's skin once more before releasing her wrists, content that Regina knew that for right now, this was just about her.

Emma kissed her hard on the mouth then, just briefly, making sure to leave her wanting more before sinking to her knees before her, eyes growing dark as she looked upon Regina's glistening skin. The rain had made it almost shimmer, and Emma's tongue caught the drops that adorned her thighs, the feeling causing the woman above her to whimper softly as the blonde drew further towards the apex of her legs. Fingers wrapped around the delicate fabric then, and the soaked material slid down Regina's hips, exposing a neatly cropped patch of hair that—Jesus, totally wasn't fair, because it wasn't like they had brought _razors_ on this little trip.

"God, I hate you a little bit," Emma breathed, yet her words sounded far more wanton than annoyed. Despite her jealousy that _Regina_ was able to keep herself groomed after being stuck for three days on a ship and another two on an island, Emma still couldn't help but be appreciative of the sight. Regina was fucking beautiful, every single part of her, and it made a part of Emma feel lucky that she was one of the few who had actually been allowed to see it.

Regina chuckled at the blonde's comment. "Magic, dear."

"Yeah, got that," Emma breathed as she slid her nails down Regina's thighs, relishing in the way it prompted a sharp exhale of breath from the woman atop her. "Not gonna lie though; kinda glad you aren't gonna be reciprocating now. I'm not exactly at my best here."

"Emma, I don't—_oh,"_ Regina began, only to cut herself off with a breathy moan as Emma's mouth covered her sex. Fingers tangled in blonde hair, nails raking against Emma's scalp as Regina leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. "I'm not… _that _shallow, dear…" she finally managed, but in the end, it really didn't matter to her whether Regina cared or not.

Because if Emma was being honest,_ she_ was the one who really cared about it. And yeah, it was stupid and shallow, but that's what society had conditioned her to believe was beautiful, so it wasn't like that was going to change any time soon.

Pushing that thought out of her mind though, as that wasn't even gonna become an issue right now, Emma dug her fingers into Regina's thighs as she slid her tongue through the woman's heat, smirking a little at the way the Queen's hips jerked beneath her ministrations. Regina tried to suppress a moan by biting down on her bottom lip, but when Emma wrapped her lips around her clit and gently sucked, the grip on her hair became painfully tight as Regina silently encouraged yes, _that._

It didn't take long for Emma to find out exactly what made the Queen come undone, and eventually Regina gave up on trying to quiet herself. Her moans were breathy and intoxicating, and Jesus, when she said Emma's name it made the blonde groan in response, vibrating the sensitive flesh against her tongue and causing Regina to cry out. The ache between her own thighs was becoming unbearable, and Emma knew that if she didn't do something she was going to want to kill herself once they got back to camp, so while she worked on getting Regina off with her mouth, her own hand flew to the button on her pants.

The material was wet and it made trying to slide it halfway down her thighs a harder task than she really had the patience for, but eventually she managed and, God, the relief Emma felt once she was able to slide her fingers over her clit was fucking _incomparable._ She moaned hard against Regina's flesh, and the woman responded by bucking her hips harder against her face, her erratic breathing filling the silence of the jungle.

But then it seemed Regina finally realized what she was doing, and she tugged roughly on Emma's hair, trying to get her attention. "Don't— oh _God,"_ she tried, but was interrupted by Emma flicking her tongue rapidly against her sensitive bundle of nerves. Regina had to take a few deep breaths before tugging even harder on Emma's hair, finally getting the blonde to stop and look up at her in question, her chest heaving and eyes almost black with lust. "I want… just—_get up here!"_ Regina snapped impatiently, pulling on her hair once more for good measure.

And Emma tried to accommodate her, really she did, but between her haste to do so and her pants all bunched up around her thighs, she had misjudged how much room she had to work with, and ended up tripping over her own two feet. In a panic she reached for Regina, and both woman came tumbling down to land in a pile of limbs and wet, restrictive, half-off clothing. It was a complete mess, yet despite how embarrassing it was for Emma that she had managed to turn something that was sexy into, well, _this,_ she had to laugh. Because fuck, go figure right?

"God, we're so hot," Emma chuckled against the skin of Regina's neck, the other woman having landed squarely on top of her. Regina snorted lightly in response.

"Well, I suppose I should have been expecting something like this when I decided I wanted to sleep with _you,_ dear," she replied, but her tone was teasing before she playfully nipped at the skin of Emma's jaw, causing the woman beneath her to smile before turning her head and capturing Regina's lips with hers.

The kiss only lasted a moment though, because Emma ended up shifting uncomfortably beneath Regina before groaning, "Fuck, I think dirt is starting to stick to my ass."

Yeah, this really could have gone better.

Regina laughed. It wasn't often that Emma heard her do that in a way that wasn't filled with contempt, and just the sound of it caused the blonde to smile. "_Please,_ Miss Swan," Regina begged sarcastically, her lips finding the underside of her ear as she chuckled lightly, "talk dirty to me some more; you have no idea how wet it gets me…"

"Think the rain's doing a better job of that than me right now," Emma responded, tangling her fingers in her hair as she simultaneously laughed and groaned. "God, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Regina murmured against her skin, sounding so incredibly sincere about it that it caused Emma's heart to skip a beat. She turned her head to look at her, and Regina smiled softly in response before, with a wave of her hand, their clothes completely disappeared from their bodies in a puff of purple smoke. They reappeared on one of the rocks, folded neatly and stacked into a pile, and Emma looked at her in disbelief.

"You couldn't have done that before?"

"I was a little distracted before, dear," Regina reminded her with a smirk, before picking herself up off the ground and extending her hand to Emma. "Come," she beckoned, and Emma didn't hesitate in complying.

Regina led her to the large pond, and keeping a firm grip on her hand, led her into the water so they could wash the dirt off their bodies. Emma tried to tell her that they had been gone too long and should probably just chalk this experience up to be a failure, but the words stuck in her throat as Regina let go of her hand to completely submerge herself in the water. It almost seemed like a slow motion replay when she emerged, water droplets falling down her breasts as she swept her hair back and, fuck, all Emma could do was gape at her like some sort of idiot.

"What?" Regina asked, surprisingly sounding a little self-conscious once she took note of the way Emma was looking at her.

"You're just…" the blonde tried, blinking heavily as she tried to form words. "You're fucking _beautiful._ Jesus Christ."

Regina flushed lightly at that, apparently not having expected such a sincere compliment, and she averted her gaze. Emma had never really expected Regina to be the shy type, but maybe there was a big difference to her between something being said to her out of lust and something being said out of… God, just complete _admiration._ The woman was like a walking work of art, it was ridiculous.

Emma reached out and touched her then, her fingertips brushing lightly over the taut muscles of Regina's stomach, and over the curvature of her breasts. She placed her lips on the underside of her jaw, and Regina exhaled a sharp breath before tangling her fingers in blonde hair and pulling Emma flush against her, encouraging the woman to kiss and suck at her neck. Her heavy gasp when Emma bit down was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain beating against the surface of the pond, and she finally turned her head to capture the blonde's lips with her own, causing Emma's whimper of need to become muffled by her tongue.

Regina grasped for her hips, her nails stinging her flesh as Emma's hand fell between their bodies, getting lost between the woman's folds. Regina's mouth fell open in a silent plea, her forehead pressing against Emma's as her heavy breaths were exhaled against the blonde's lips. Focusing the pressure of her fingers on Regina's clit, Emma moved slowly but purposefully, watching the pleasure etch across Regina's delicate features. It was probably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and as Regina's grip on her tightened as she dragged her bottom lip across the contour of the other woman's cheek, her whispered plea of, _"Emma,"_ made this feel far more intimate than either of them probably intended.

And Jesus Christ, it scared Emma half to death.

Because her heart was pounding her chest, her breath was getting caught in her throat, and suddenly she found herself wishing that this was something she would always get to experience. And god, that was _dangerous,_ for so many damn reasons, but Emma fell into it anyway, because it filled the pit of her stomach with a warmth she didn't know how to ignore.

Dusking her thumb over the corner of Regina's lips, Emma increased the pressure between Regina's thighs and pleaded softly, "Don't hold yourself back. I wanna hear you." Nails pierced the skin of her back then as Emma increased the pace of her fingers, and the sound that fell from Regina's lips was both loud and erotic as hell. It was needy, desperate, and Regina's hips bucked in response before she bit down beneath Emma's ear, causing the blonde to cry out as it shot sparks to every nerve ending in her body.

"Fuck, _Emma,"_ Regina pleaded desperately, the words sounding throaty and broken as she grasped for her, one of her hands falling between their bodies in her sudden desire to touch her, to reciprocate, even though…

Emma clutched Regina's wrist beneath the water before the other woman was able to get to her destination, and Regina's eyes immediately snapped up to catch hers, her gaze fierce and challenging. "It's fine, you don't have to—" Emma tried breathlessly, not entirely comfortable with Regina touching her when everything down there was less than ideal.

Apparently Regina didn't really care about her silly insecurities though, because suddenly her wrist was ripped from the blonde's grasp, and with one firm push to her abdomen Emma was stumbling backwards in the water. Her body came to rest up against the large boulder near the waterfall, and before Emma could protest, Regina cut off her words with a searing kiss that left her breathless.

"It's pubic hair, Miss Swan," Regina told her firmly, accenting her words by sliding her fingers through the woman's coarse curls, finding her prize just slightly southward. "You don't need to be embarrassed over something completely natural. I really couldn't care less."

"I know, I just—_fuck,"_ Emma panted, forgetting her embarrassment the moment two of Regina's fingers slid inside of her. She could feel Regina smirk against her skin, apparently pleased with herself for causing Emma's brain to go gloriously blank for a moment, and, okay, _fine,_ fuck the pubic hair issue. It really wasn't worth debating right now anyway.

Tangling her fingers in Regina's hair, Emma forcefully turned Regina's head towards hers to crash their lips together, the kiss becoming a mess of teeth and tongues as the brunette used her whole body to push against her. Emma's whimpered plea got caught in the back of her throat as her fingernails scraped against Regina's scalp, one of her legs wrapping tightly around the other woman's waist.

"Please, please," Emma begged, her desperate words etching across the skin of Regina's cheek as the woman's fingers corkscrewed inside of her. The blonde's eyes fell closed and she buried her face in Regina's neck to muffle her cries, breathing in her scent as her fingers grasped for the woman's back, her hips, her ass. She wanted to touch all of Regina at once, and her inability to do so frustrated the hell out of her. Still, Emma's hands found their home at the curvature of her backside, and she pulled Regina further towards her, situating one of her thighs between the other woman's legs.

After some frantic encouragement consisting of some uncoordinated pushing and pulling as Regina completely stole all competence from her mind, the brunette finally got the hint and began grinding herself against Emma's thigh. Regina's lips were right next to her ear when she moaned, and the sound almost caused Emma to come completely undone right there. Fingers squeezing tight to Regina's ass, Emma bit down on the woman's shoulder as the pleasure started to overwhelm her.

But apparently Regina didn't want her to come too quickly, and so she purposely slowed the pace of her fingers, and Emma's open palms slammed against the Queen's back in frustration. "Fuck!" she cried, feeling like she might actually explode if she wasn't able to get off. "Regina, _please,_ I need—!"

Regina cut off her words with a kiss, and then a whispered order of, "Hush," was breathed against her lips, and God, Emma could do nothing else but fall silent at her request, her breasts heaving from her labored breaths. She looked at her then, and she watched Regina's lips upturn into a wicked smile as she slid her fingers from the blonde's body. And holy God, Emma forgot how to fucking_ breathe_ when Regina brought them to her lips, allowing her tongue to curl around the length of her fingers before bringing them entirely into her mouth.

"Are you trying to kill me…?"

The question was posed soft and disbelieving, because Jesus that had to be the hottest thing she had ever witnessed, but Regina just laughed. "No, dear," she told her, voice sultry and dripping of sex as she slid her fingers over the curvature of her breasts, then down her abdomen to lay rest between her own thighs. "I'm trying to make an _impression."_

"Why, so I can recommend you to a friend?" Emma tried to joke, but the words were hoarse and her mind was completely on other things, like, God, the way Regina was touching herself right now. And it was because of said distraction that Emma almost missed it; the flash of insecurity in Regina's eyes that was gone as soon as it appeared, but it caught Emma's attention almost immediately and the breath constricted in her chest as she realized.

Regina wanted to make sure that she wanted this again; wanted _her _again.

And it was so damn unexpected, the realization that Regina wasn't just trying to have some one-off with her, that Emma almost forgot to breathe. And maybe in the end it wasn't a relationship that the Queen wanted, just a reliable fuck buddy when she found she needed one, but it still meant that Regina wanted _her_ for more than just a temporary lapse in sanity, or whatever they were going to previously write this off as, and that was… okay, Emma really, really liked the thought of that.

"Regina," she began, reaching out for the other woman's hand and taking it away from the apex of her thighs. She pulled Regina towards her, gently bringing their bodies back together. "Trust me; you don't need to give me a show to make an impression. I'm pretty sure I'd fuck you every day for the rest of my goddamn _life_ if you asked me to, alright? Cause… _damn."_ Her lips found the base of Regina's ear then and as she began to kiss and suck the flesh that covered it, the brunette released a breathy moan.

"Heavy," Regina murmured as her eyes fell closed, her tone sounding almost like a warning as she grasped for Emma's hips. And fuck, yeah, maybe it came out sounding a little bit more intense than she had intended.

"Sorry," Emma breathed, not wanting to freak her out. "I just… I meant it in a physical way, not a… you know."

"Right," Regina responded softly, her fingers getting lost in tight curls once more, causing Emma to inhale a sharp breath in response. "Of course."

Emma followed suit, and soon they were gazing into each other's eyes as they slid their fingers through slick heat, pleasuring each other in a way that was counteractive to their claim of not wanting true intimacy. Regina's chest was heaving as her breathing began to labor, and Jesus, she looked beautiful half submerged in the water as raindrops danced across her skin. Her hair was stuck to the side of her face, her lips were parted as she exhaled each shuddered gasp, and oh God, her dark eyes seemed to almost burn a hole straight through Emma's chest as she watched Regina become undone with such acute fascination and awe.

Emma cried out as Regina began rubbing tight circles against her clit, and her forehead fell against the Queen's as her hips twitched in pleasure. She could feel Regina's breath on her lips and Emma angled her face to capture them once more, swallowing Regina's moan of pleasure as she mirrored the other woman's actions.

Throwing her arm around her neck, Emma pulled Regina flush against her, feeling the brunette's dusky nipples scraping against her own with every rise and fall of her chest. And it was there that she held her, kissing Regina with every ounce of passion that she had inside of her until finally the woman fell from her peak, panting and grasping and pleading Emma's name into the stillness of nature. It was fucking _beautiful,_ but Emma barely had a moment to enjoy it, because Regina didn't bask in the feeling for long.

All of her weight having fallen against Emma when she came, Regina allowed herself to stay there as she buried her face in the crook of her neck, her fingers slipping once more within Emma's depths. "Regina," the blonde pleaded, her eyes becoming screwed tightly shut as she grasped for the skin of her back, feeling like she was about to burst. "Fuck, please…!"

Regina's teeth sunk into the base of her neck then, and Emma cried out as her hips twitched with pleasure, the woman atop her beginning to pound into her mercilessly. Regina's knuckles slammed into her pubic bone with each thrust, and God, that was probably gonna hurt like hell in the morning, but right now Emma couldn't even _begin_ to care. She just held onto her for dear life, nails scraping red, angry lines into Regina's flesh whilst screaming incoherent words that sounded almost like, "Fuck, yes, _yes!"_ as she allowed the woman atop her to completely fuck her into oblivion.

Her own voice sounded so far away as Emma's blood pumped in her ears, her inner muscles tightening to the point of pain should she not be brought over the edge _right the fuck now,_ and Regina seemed to realize that, as suddenly a hand was slapped tightly across Emma's mouth just as the other woman pressed firmly against her g-spot and fuck, in the end, Regina didn't really have a _prayer_ of that muffling the sound of Emma's scream. It was goddamn earth shattering, following one of the most intense orgasms Emma had ever had as it ripped through her body like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless and spent and nearly half unconscious.

Regina kept her hand firmly pressed against Emma's mouth however, her whole body tense as she listened for any indication that someone had heard them. The blonde was panting heavily, trying to get the haze of her mind to clear, and she looked at Regina both in question and apology as she awaited the results of her own stupidity.

Finally though, Regina exhaled a sigh of relief and let her hand drop from Emma's mouth. "You need to learn some self-control," she reprimanded through labored breaths, allowing her body to rest fully against the blonde's. "If the Lost Boys had heard us…"

Emma's eyes widened at that, and she hoisted herself off the boulder as she grabbed Regina's arm, her words having brought back another concern. "Fuck, my _parents—!"_ because Jesus, they had been gone for a while; why the hell hadn't they come looking for them?! Now she was scared as hell that the Lost Boys had gotten to_ them _instead, but Regina put a calming hand on the back of her neck and forced Emma to look at her.

"They're alright," Regina assured her. "I made sure they were protected before I left."

Emma's brow furrowed at that, because after Pan had found them the other night Regina had decided – much to everyone else's agreement – that casting a glamour around their camp was probably a wise decision, but the plan was to only do so while they slept. And that still didn't answer the question of why they hadn't come looking for them when they had been gone for over an hour, unless… "Oh God, what did you do?"

Regina pursed her lips and said nothing.

"_Regina."_

The brunette exhaled an impatient sigh as she flipped her wet hair back from her face. "They were irritating me," was all she answered in response, and Emma threw out her hands like 'are you fucking kidding me' before Regina rolled her eyes and told her, "Relax, I merely used a mild sedative spell; they'll wake up within the hour. _With_, I might add, shelter; which if they had just listened to me in the first place, would have been achieved without everyone screaming at each other like mindless idiots for the better part of a half-hour. I really don't know why they're so adverse to magic; it gets things done much more quickly."

"You… knocked out Hook and my parents," Emma reiterated flatly, almost disbelievingly, even though she didn't know why she was really surprised, "and then came to fuck me while they were out cold."

Regina just shrugged, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I do like to be efficient with my time, dear."

"You're…" but Emma couldn't even finish her sentence, because damnit, a part of her actually found it kind of _funny,_ and a smirk peaked out despite her best efforts to hide it as she shook her head. Regina chuckled, her arms slipping around Emma's waist, bringing the blonde flush against her torso.

"You approve then? I'm surprised."

"_No,"_ Emma tried to deny, but then Regina's lips found her jaw and Emma bit down on her bottom lip as she amended, "Okay, maybe a little…" Her fingers skimmed the smooth skin of Regina's back, relishing in the feeling of the other woman kissing down her neck. Still, Emma had to ask, "You're sure they're safe?"

"Perfectly, dear," Regina assured her, the words tickling the sensitive skin beneath her ear. She kissed her once more before pulling back so she could look into Emma's eyes when she promised her, "I wouldn't leave them alone without protection."

"Okay," Emma breathed, believing her words without another thought. Because now, apparently, her feelings for Regina had substantially shifted, leaving her with more trust for the woman before her than she had originally had when she had first walked into this clearing. It was disorienting as hell, and even scarier than that, and now that the haze of lust had cleared, it left Emma feeling awkward and completely out of place, because what the hell were they to each other now?

But she didn't seem to be the only one who felt like that, as the way Regina was looking at her right then spoke volumes of want, fear, and vulnerability. Her heart beginning to pound in her throat, Emma's eyes fell to Regina's lips just briefly before coming to rest on her face once more, her gaze holding an unspoken question that Regina seemed to allow, her grip on Emma's hips tightening as she brought her closer. And then they were kissing, but it was different than all the others, gentler and more tentatively exploring, and the sheer volume of unexpected emotion it elicited within Emma seemed to rob her of breath.

"Oh God," she breathed when they broke, her fingers tracing the contour of Regina's cheek as she rested her forehead against hers. "What the hell are we doing…?"

"I really don't know," Regina admitted, her fingertips tracing lazy circles against Emma's hip. A slight hesitation followed her words, coupled with a sharp exhale of breath before Regina finally finished quietly with, "But… thank you, for whatever this is. I really did need it."

Emma bit her bottom lip, her gaze locked on Regina's as she smiled softly; because whatever this was, whether it was the beginning of something great or the biggest mistake they would ever make, in that moment, it really didn't even matter, because it was the first thing in Emma's life that had actually felt real in a very long time.

**- FIN -**


End file.
